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South Asia Department

Modern Bengal: the Evolution of Bengali Culture & Society from 1690 to the Present

Course Code:
155901271
Status:
Course Not Running 2012/2013
Unit value:
1
Taught in:
Full Year
The course will round off BA South Asian Studies for students who have chosen Bengali as their main language, and will be an essential component for students on the programme BA Bengali and another subject.  Students who do not know Bengali will not be disadvantaged, but those who do will be able – through options in their coursework and in the exam – to explore the language’s cultural context.

Prerequisites

None

Objectives and learning outcomes of the course

At the end of the course, students should have a broad grasp of the evolution of modern Bengali culture, history, society and arts (including cinema, painting and songs as well as literature). They should also have an understanding of how the present-day political division of Bengal into West Bengal and Bangladesh has emerged, and of the cultural and religious differences between the two parts of Bengal.

Workload

Total of 22 weeks teaching, 3 hours per week, 1 hour of which per fortnight will be a tutorial group separate from MA students taking the course.'

Method of assessment

One three-hour written examination taken in May/June (80%); one essay of 1,500 words to be submitted on day 1, week 1, term 2 (5%); one essay of 2,500 words to be submitted on day 1, week 1, term 3 (15%).

Suggested reading

A comprehensive reading list will be available to students at the beginning of the course